How Smell Works

The California Milk Processor Board launched a scent marketing scheme in 2006 to accompany its "Got Milk?" campaign. The city of San Francisco called for an immediate removal of the cookie-scented strips after complaints.

Advertisers are eager to cash in on the close link between smell, memory and mood. Real estate agents have long used scent marketing as a way of putting clients at ease. Sellers set fresh pie or cookies on countertops to make a house seem comfy and livable. But because there's a limit to how many pies one agent can bake, companies that sell aroma-marketing systems are stepping up. Housing developments, hotels, stores and even car manufacturers are turning to customized scents to help set a mood and maybe even make an impression.

Scent marketing is the latest trick to stand out from the visual and auditory barrage that dominates advertising. These scents, however, are a far cry from the strong smells of incense and patchouli at the bead store. They're subtle and almost imperceptible to the unwitting sniffer. Developers use carefully tuned scents to lure customers into a sense of well-being. Stores that sell shoes or shirts, items ideally not associated with odor, formulate aromas of ivy or crisp linen. Some companies even strive to develop a "brand scent," something that customers will associate with the company as much as a logo.

Up Next

To learn more about smell and the other senses, sniff out the links on the next page.

Stink Bomb

­While retailers and developers turn to positive smells for advertising and marketing, the U.S. Department of Defense has realized the value of bad smells -- really bad smells. Unlike pepper spray or tear gas, which irritate pain receptors and can cause serious damage, stink bombs just reek and make unruly crowds disperse in a flash.

The idea of using smell as a weapon has been around for some time, however. The Office of Strategic Services for the French Resistance considered using a horrific garbagelike smell called "Who Me?" against German soldiers in World War II. The only problem? The sulfur that made the scent so pungent had a nasty habit of escaping on its own and lingering on everything it touched.